


its you

by ravepirate



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: A/B/O Universe, Alpha daniel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Childhood Friend, M/M, accidental imprint, angst with happy ending, beta minhyun, may contain lots of timeskip, omega ong, ong seongwoo and kang daniel is the ending couple., protective brother, will add more tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2019-10-22 06:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17657825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravepirate/pseuds/ravepirate
Summary: the hwang family had been wanting a new child, a little brother for minhyun.and finally it came in a bundle of joy named ong seongwoo.as he grows up, a new man came in his life. a new person in town which is also minhyun bestfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> may contain lots of timeskip  
> this is my first time writing angst.
> 
> unedited, will be edited later

“Where are we going, Omma?” asked the 5-year-old Minhyun from the backseat of the car, looking very curious and excited. Looking outside, there was a new road that he had never passed through with his parents. He wondered where his parents were taking him.

 

His parents picked him up directly from kindergarten that afternoon, and now they were driving to somewhere he didn’t know. This was really intriguing to him since they never went anywhere else after kindergarten. Usually they went straight home, or on a very good day, they will go to the park to play catch with his father. But Minhyun knew the road to the park; they have to pass the big ice cream parlour, which is also his favourite.

 

“Hyunnie, you know how you have been asking us for a little brother for years now? Well, Omma can’t get pregnant anymore. So… we decided to adopt your little brother instead.” 

 

Carefully, Omma explained after she positioned herself to face Minhyun’s direction so that they were face-to-face, even though she sat in the front and Minhyun was sitting in the back.

 

It took Minhyun a few seconds to understand what his mother was saying, but his face lit up when it finally clicked in his head that he was going to get a little brother of his own. He had been asking his parents for a little sibling, specifically a little brother so that he can share all of his toys and so that he can finally have some company that was not an adult in the house. Not that he doesn’t love his parents, he loves them so much, but he wanted someone that was close to his age so that he can go on and on about his favourite games and tv shows.

 

“Really, Omma? I’m going to get a little brother?” 

 

Minhyun asked in a very adorable voice, as if he really didn’t believe that his parents were finally going to give him what he wanted. He quickly stood up from the back seat and squished his little body in between the front seats to look at his parents’ faces, making sure that they were serious, which they usually were.

 

His fists were tightly clenched, as well as his lips tightly pursed, as he waited for an answer from his parents. His eyes were also busy looking back and forth between his father who was driving and his mother who was smiling at him fondly.

 

“Yes, you are, Hyunnie. We are going to an orphanage, and we will bring back your little brother.” 

 

Minhyun’s father chuckled at his only child. He knew Minhyun had been lonely on his own, so they had been trying to conceive another child after Minhyun. However, it was futile, and after discussing with his wife and both of their parents, and of course, some research about the adoption process, they decided to go on with the adoption.

 

“YAY!! A BABY BROTHER!!” 

 

Minhyun screamed as he started jumping in the back seat. He was excited that he was going to get a baby brother that he had been wanting to have since he was 3 years old. He grabbed his Mr. Fox plushie and squeezed him tightly, happy and elated that he would finally get his wish. His mind was imagining what he would do with his little brother when they got home after this. He wanted to show him his toys, his room, and most of all, he wanted to love him with everything he had.

 

“Now Hyunnie, what did I tell you about jumping in the car? You don’t want to be a bad example to your baby brother, do you?”

 

Omma warned Minhyun as she once again turned to face the cheery Minhyun. Usually when she warned Minhyun about something, her face looked very strict and stern. However, this time she was smiling and chuckling slowly while looking at her happy son. In her mind, she felt slightly content that her son was taking the news happily.

 

“Ahh, I forgot about it! Here! I put on my seat belt. I just can’t wait to meet him!” 

 

Hearing his mother’s warning, Minhyun had quickly fallen back into his seat and put on his seatbelt. His giddiness from the news was not gone, since he was still smiling widely and hugging Mr. Fox tightly in his seat.

 

“I’m sure you are, Hyunnie.” 

 

His mother smiled again before she turned back towards the front. Truthfully, she was nervous about the adoption. There were millions of _“What if?”_ scenarios that crossed her mind. What if the child they adopted didn’t fit in their family? What if they couldn’t love the child as much as they loved Minhyun? What if after they brought the child home, they would decide that it was actually a bad decision?

 

It was suddenly silent in the car as Minhyun had stopped blabbering to Mr. Fox about what his plans with his future little brother were. When he broke the silence, a question was thrown to his father.

 

“Appa, what is an orphanage? Is it something like my kindergarten?” Minhyun asked.

 

He had just realised that he didn’t understand the word that his father had said to him earlier since he was occupied by the fact that he was going to get his own little brother. Now that he calmed down, he realised he didn’t fully understand what his father had said.

 

The question seemed unexpected, but on second thought, since it came from Minhyun, it was not unexpected at all. Their child was always curious about things he didn’t know, especially words or things that he had yet to understand. His father took some time to think of an appropriate answer so that the 5-year-old could fully understand.

 

“It’s sort of like your kindergarten, Hyunnie, but they don’t have their own Omma or Appa to take care of them at home. So, they all live at the orphanage with other children and their caretaker.” 

 

His father finally answered after careful deliberation, hoping that his son wouldn’t grow up to judge the kids in the orphanage as lower than them.

 

“Why is that, Appa?” Minhyun asked again. _How can they not live in their own home and with their family?_ , thought Minhyun.

 

“Some people are not as lucky as you, Hyunnie. Maybe something happened to their parents or in their home that made them unable to take care of them anymore.”

 

This time it was his mother who replied his question. Minhyun was taken aback by the answer, making him go silent for a few minutes.

 

“Then I’m going to give all the love I can to my baby brother!” said Minhyun with a newfound determination. Whoever his little brother is, he will give everything in his power to love and protect the little one.

 

“I’m sure you will, Hyunnie. I’m sure we will.” His mother nodded as she grabbed her husband’s hand, seeking comfort for her nervousness as they continued to drive towards the orphanage.

 

… … … … …

 

“Just a reminder, as a beta family you are only able to adopt an omega or beta child. Do you have any preference for the type you want, Mr. and Mrs. Hwang?”

 

Mrs. Rachel, the caretaker of the orphanage explained the first rules of adoption. There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, hoping that one of the children would be adopted and loved by a new family. Her hair was unkempt, held together by a messy bun, and paired with an old dress, but there was a warm, motherly feeling that her smile gave that made people feel comfortable around her. The Hwangs could tell that the children must love her.

 

“Yes, we are aware of the rules of adoption. We have been excitedly studying the rules for months now, and no, we don’t have a preference for the adoption. We just want to get to know the children before we choose who to adopt,” Mr. Hwang replied.

 

Mr. Hwang held his 5-year-old son in one arm while his other hand held onto his wife’s. They were nervous about the process, but Minhyun was just excited. His eyes were looking everywhere, as if his future little brother was going to pop out of nowhere and surprise them.

 

But, Minhyun also knew that they were going through some sort of selection process first with some of the children. At least, that’s what his mother had told him a while ago, and that they were going to choose whoever he was most comfortable with.

 

“Alright then. Let’s meet them.”

 

Mrs. Rachel lead the way to another room that was smaller than her office, but cozier with a few sofas and a big mattress on the floor. It was comfortable; Minhyun liked it since the colours were bright and there were many toys.

 

After briefing the couple, Mrs. Rachel left the family alone for a bit and came back with a boy slightly younger than Minhyun to introduce to them.

 

 

… … … … …

 

 

The first child they met was named Kim Jaehwan, and unfortunately, he managed to make Minhyun cry within the first 5 minutes of meeting him. He was staring so intensely that the usually calm Minhyun managed to crack under his gaze. The boy also didn’t respond to any questions from Mr. And Mrs. Hwang as their simple “interview” went on.

 

At the end of the first session, they decided to continue looking at the other children in the orphanage. Jaehwan was a lovely child in their eyes, but seeing Minhyun’s intense reaction towards him convinced them that Jaehwan would not be the right choice.

 

Luckily, Mrs. Rachel was understanding of the situation, although she believed it was a pity. In her eyes, Jaehwan was a very charming and quirky child, but it seemed that today was not a good day for him. Mrs. Rachel left the room with Jaehwan, and a few minutes later, came back with another child.

 

The second child was named Ha Sungwoon, a very pretty name for a very handsome boy. He was a talkative and cheerful 3-year old, but Minhyun seemed quite uncomfortable with him. Even though Sungwoon was smiling by his side, Minhyun did not look excited.

 

When Mrs. Rachel came back, it was painful for her to say that maybe the talkative Sungwoon was not suitable for their quiet family.

 

Little by little, the glimmer of hope in Mrs. Rachel’s eyes became dim as none of the children being presented to the Hwang family were chosen. She just hoped that by the end of the day, one of the children would get to join a new family.

 

The Hwang family may look like they are being tedious in choosing their adopted child, but for Mrs. Rachel, it was better than if a family were to choose blindly and then decide a month later that the child does not suit them. That would traumatize the adopted child, if they were to join a new family and later be returned to the orphanage, like a broken toy at the mall. The children at the orphanage had enough trauma in their life to be thrown away for a second time.

 

Mrs. Rachel did not want situation to happen. It was better for them to be particular now, rather than later.

 

“Should we not adopt for now? It seems like none of them are comfortable with us and Minhyun doesn’t look like he is enjoying this any longer. Maybe we should just go to another orphanage?” asked Mr. Hwang after seeing that his wife and son were discouraged after the 8th child had left the room with Mrs. Rachel.

 

Some of the kids were cute and lovely, but they did not seem to click well with them. The family could not seem to find the child that they could consider “the one” in their hearts. The parents did enjoy hearing Daehwi rambling about another child named Jinyoung, seeing Woojin running around energetically, and cooing at the cute Jihoon, but they could not just adopt the children just for those reasons.

 

Suddenly, the door to the room opened slightly, and a pair of small feet slowly but confidently walked in. At first glance, it looked like the boy had just started walking. There was a curious look in his eyes as he saw the couple in the room, his hands holding the door to support him as he walked. Then, his gaze turned to Minhyun, who was sitting on the mat on the floor. Small laughter broke out of the boy’s tiny mouth as he waddled in his diapers like a duck across the room towards Minhyun. He stumbled along the way but was able to get up and continue before anyone in the room could help him as he was determined to go to Minhyun.

 

Minhyun watched the little boy curiously as he stopped right in front of him with a huge, toothy smile. The black-haired boy plopped down in front of Minhyun, still giggling as he raised his hands up towards Minhyun as if asking for a hug.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Hwang held their breath as they watched the scene in front of them. The little boy had captured their hearts the moment he stepped inside the room, and the smile on his face as he waddled towards Minhyun made one of the most precious scenes they had ever seen. All the wanted to see now was whether or not Minhyun also liked the boy.

 

Minhyun hesitated for a moment when the little boy in front of him raised his arms towards him, confused by what the boy wanted from him.

 

“Hyunnn!” the child whined with a very bright smile, looking very eager to get a hug from the older boy.

 

He wasn’t sure if the little boy was trying to say ‘hyung’ or ‘Hyun’, but Minhyun could not stop himself from hugging the boy tightly and lovingly. He had fallen for the little boy who reached out for him with his megawatt smile. He had chosen this little as his little brother and he was going to love him for the rest of his life.

 

Standing by their side, Mr. and Mrs. Hwang were hugging each other happily; both ecstatic that they finally found their special someone that managed to capture all 3 of their hearts.

 

The happy moment, however, was disrupted by Mrs. Rachel who had entered the room with another child. She was confused briefly before realizing what was happening. She quickly brought the other child back out of the room and later returned alone.

 

“I see you have met our little Seongwoo here. He is quite a charming child, isn’t he?” Mrs. Rachel introduced the child. There was a distinct hint of confusion in her voice.

 

“Yes, and we have decided that we would like to adopt him into our family,” Mr. Hwang stated. His was face was serious, but one could tell he was joyful. Clearly, he had fallen for the little boy. He watched lovingly as his son affectionately hugged and pinched the younger’s cheeks softly. His wife stood by the side, wiping her tears of joy, overwhelmed by the feeling of love after meeting and watching the boy for less than 10 minutes.

 

Mrs. Rachel explained that Seongwoo was not originally up for adoption. In fact, it was the first time she had seen the boy looking cheery and calm when he usually threw tantrums wherever he went. He often gave the caretakers nightmares and headaches, but maybe it really was a good thing that the Hwang family came today. Seeing the little boy finally smile and laugh was one of the greatest joys in her years of being the caretaker of this orphanage. It must have been fate that the little boy, who was just barely learning to walk, was able to waddle his way past all of the caretakers and into this room, capturing the love and attention of the whole family.

 

The adults moved to another room for further discussion regarding the adoption, leaving Minhyun and Seongwoo to play on their own while a different caretaker watched over them. None of them were worried about them being left alone, seeing that they were absorbed in playing and laughing with each other.

 

More details about Seongwoo’s past was explained to couple: Seongwoo had been in the orphanage since he was around 6 months old, and he had been there for about 1 year. When he was handed over to the orphanage, the government informed them that his family had perished in a fire and that he was the only descendant of the Ong last name in the country. The government also believed that it would be best if the boy could retain his own surname if the adopted family was willing to let the boy choose when he reached the legal age of 18.

 

“If that is what’s best for him, then we are willing to wait for his decision regarding changing his last name,” decided Mrs. Hwang. Mr. Hwang nodded in agreement beside her. Sure, they all treasured their surnames, but it was also not wise to destroy a bloodline by changing the surname of a child without his or her consent. Surely the Ong family treasured their surname as much as them, especially seeing how Ong was a rare noble surname.

 

With the decision made, they went through any legal documentation, and since the Hwangs had previously went through all of the compulsory interviews with the government regarding their eligibility as foster parents, everything seemed set for them to legally bring back Seongwoo as their adopted son.

 

Before that could happen, however, there was a requirement for them to come back to the orphanage 3 more times for them to get to know the child and make him comfortable with his soon-to-be new family.

 

They regretfully went home that day, but not without Seongwoo and Minhyun both crying and refusing to let go of each other. For the first time ever, Minhyun threw a fit in front of his parents, crying over why they weren’t bringing Seongwoo home with them like they had promised and knowing that the younger was also crying.

 

 

… … … … …

 

 

After returning to the orphanage 3 times, the Hwangs fulfilled the government’s requirement and were finally able to bring back Seongwoo. Minhyun was at home with his babysitter, who had picked him up from his kindergarten earlier that day, when Mr. and Mrs. Hwang came back with a sleeping Seongwoo in Mrs. Hwang’s arms.

 

“Omma?”

 

A little head popped out from the living room, peeking when the light at the doorway had lit up. Minhyun had been waiting anxiously since this morning when his father dropped him off at the kindergarten, and he had felt disappointed when he came back home and saw that his parents were still not back with Seongwoo.

 

At the sight of her son, Mrs. Hwang put a finger towards her lips, signalling to Minhyun to not make a sound.

 

Minhyun nodded silently as his gaze shifted towards the bundle in his mother’s arms. His father trailed behind his mother, silently holding some bags and pushing a baby stroller as he also looked over at the bundle that was being held protectively by his wife.

 

At first, Minhyun was confused. _Where is Seongwoo?_ , he had thought. _Why is Seongwoo not with his parents? Why is the baby stroller empty? Are they still not allowed to bring back Seongwoo yet?_ He was sure that today Seongwoo would finally come home with them.

 

Minhyun had already prepared the nursery with his mother yesterday, and he had already put his blanket in the nursey so that he could sleep with his little brother tonight. He had also moved all of his plushies and his toys from his room into the nursery. All of his plushies and toys now belonged to his litter brother even though his parents said that they could share everything.

 

“How adorable. He slept through the whole journey,” whispered his father as he hugged his wife from behind.

 

It was then that Minhyun had realized. He stepped closer to his mother, keeping his gaze on the bundle as he smiled widely, craning his neck to look closer at the bundle. When his mother bent down to his level, Minhyun was finally able to get a better look as he heard soft snores.

 

Seongwoo was _here_.

 

Seongwoo was finally in his house.

 

Seongwoo was officially his little brother from now on.

 

And he swore that he would be the best and most loving, older brother in the whole world.

 

 

_~_

_some people come into our lives_

_leave footprints in our heart_

_and we will never be the same again_


	2. chapter 2

 

_ Four years later _

 

The front gate could be heard being opened and closed, followed by the beeping of the front door’s password. The front door opened slowly, revealing a 9-year-old boy as he entered the house with a smile of relief.

 

“Omma, I’m home! I brought a friend with me!” announced Minhyun. Usually when he came home from school, his mother was already there since she worked half the day at her workplace and the other half at home. So by late afternoon, she would always be home for her sons.

 

Hearing no answer from his mother, Minhyun continued to call for her.

 

“Omma?” he called again, hoping that he will hear her sweet voice coming from the kitchen or living room. However, only silence greeted them.

 

Giving up on calling for his mother, Minhyun turned to his friend who was wearing ill-fitted clothes and standing behind him for a while now. Minhyun had been inviting his friend from school to come visit his house and today, he had finally agreed so Minhyun had been excited to introduce him to his family.

 

“Come on, she must be in here somewhere,” said Minhyun. The smile on his face showed how happy he was that his friend finally stepped foot into his house. His arms waved enthusiastically, signaling for his friend to come in and to stop lingering in the doorway.

 

There was obvious nervousness showing on his friend’s face, as if he was doing something bad by coming to Minhyun’s house. He hadn’t even taken off his shoes as if he felt that he shouldn’t be there. But there was something intriguing in the house that kept him from heading back home. Maybe it was the air in the house? He wasn’t sure.

 

“Maybe I should come back another time Minhyunnie. I don’t want to disturb your family or anything,” said Minhyun’s friend. He felt awkward standing there with Minhyun signaling to follow him inside. Then again, he had never been inside anyone’s house before besides his own. Maybe it was okay to stay for a few minutes.

 

“Nah, you’re not disturbing anybody. My parents will be thrilled to see you here!” Minhyun explained, his arms still eagerly gesturing to his friend to come in. His eager smile still plastered on his face showed that he was clearly not someone who would take no for an answer.

 

His friend sighed and took off his shoes, carefully placing them neatly on the shoe rack like the others that were neatly arranged. His nervousness showed as he silently thought about what people do when they visit someone’s home for the first time.

 

As soon as he stepped inside the house, a middle-aged woman wearing a blue dress suddenly appeared in front of them. Her smile looked exactly like Minhyun’s, making it hard to deny that this was Minhyun’s mom.

 

“Who do we have here?” asked Mrs. Hwang in a calm voice that Minhyun’s friend found really unfamiliar, but still pleasant. It was a stark difference from his own mother’s voice that always spoke in a very angry tone. The presence of Minhyun’s mother made him a bit timid, making him contemplate even more if he should just say goodbye to Minhyun and head back home.

 

Mrs. Hwang’s eyes were on the boy behind her son. To her, the boy looked haggard and malnourished, especially with the ill-fitted school uniform he was wearing. She can see that there was something bothering the boy, based on his expression, but that he was also too polite to refuse her son’s invitation. However, his eyes showed something more, something she couldn’t quite place yet.

 

Minhyun walked towards his mother and held the hem of her dress, vying for her attention to be focused on him for a second.

 

“Omma! This is my friend who I told you about before, the one who recently moved to my school,” Minhyun explained. There was a click of recognition in her eyes as Minhyun spoke. She looked back at his friend who was still standing awkwardly, looking at the mother and son interaction as if it was something foreign to him.

 

“Ohh, this must be Daniel?” Mrs. Hwang asked. The awkward boy continued to stand there, smiling back at Minhyun who was welcoming him. From Minhyun’s nonstop stories about him, Mrs. Hwang could see that Daniel was a very good boy; he was just maybe not as good with strangers.

 

“Yes, yes, yes! That one! You remembered!” Minhyun excitedly chimed as his mother acknowledged him. Minhyun would usually tell her about Daniel every time he came back from school and sometimes even during dinner time with his father and Seongwoo.

 

“Of course I remember, my dear. So, Daniel, come in. What are you doing in the doorway? It’s not nice to keep our guests in the doorway, Minhyun,” Mrs. Hwang chided her son. Surely she wouldn’t forget about someone that Minhyun had been talking about for the past month. She continued to welcome Daniel into the house.

 

Seeing the warm welcome from Mrs. Hwang, Daniel took another step towards where Minhyun was, braving himself for the visit. 

 

“I’ve been telling him to come inside, but he’s shy I guess,” explained Minhyun. Once the boy finally stood beside him, Minhyun patted his back to reassure him that it’s fine and that they should quickly go inside and sit in the living room.

 

“G-good afternoon, Mrs. Hw-Hwang… I’m K-K-Kang Da-Daniel…” Daniel stuttered out to formally introduce himself.  _ Did I introduce myself correctly? _ , he thought. Maybe he would be yelled at for not doing it right.

 

However, what greeted him when he lifted up his face was a bright smile from both people in front of him. There was a sense of comfort in their expressions, relaxing his own timidness. Mrs. Hwang stepped towards Daniel and lowered herself to be at eye-level with him so they could face each other.

 

The expression on Daniel’s face turned from timid to afraid. When Mrs. Hwang raised her arm, he couldn’t help but shake because of what he thought would happen. He thought of what his mother would usually do when he did something bad. However, to his surprised, what greeted him was not a slap or a knock on his head, but soft ruffling through his hair. It was a first that left him utterly speechless.

 

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel. You can call me Ommeo-nim instead of Mrs. Hwang if it makes you more comfortable. Here, come sit down. Minhyun’s friend is my son, too. I’ll come back soon with some cookies and milk,” Mrs. Hwang comforted the obviously scared and timid boy in front of her. Instead of feeling weirded out by the boy, there was an urge to protect him instead. Maybe it was the effect of Minhyun talking about him everyday that she felt a sense of familiarity in the boy. Or maybe the boy just had the ability to make people like him even from their first meeting. 

 

“Thanks Om-Ommeo-nim…” Daniel stuttered when Mrs. Hwang finally stood up. She straightened out her clothes before heading back into the kitchen.

 

Minhyun, who was watching the scene, just smiled at Daniel. He already expected Daniel’s reaction to be somewhat like this since he reacted the same way when their teacher introduced him on his first day at their school. Truthfully, it was hard befriending Daniel at first because all he would do was walk away from anybody who came close to him. But, typical Minhyun who would not take no for an answer saw this as a challenge.

 

After a month, the boys were inseparable and Minhyun had been asking Daniel to come visit his house to get to know each other more and to help Daniel feel more at ease with other people. Minhyun believed that his family were some of the nicest people so he might as well introduce Daniel to them. There should be no harm in that.

 

“That wasn’t so bad, right Niellie? I told you Omma is the nicest person in the world, besides Appa and my little brother,” said Minhyun as he signaled to Daniel to join him on the couch. Minhyun leaned over to take out some of his board games from under the coffee table to play with the other boy.

 

Daniel slowly lost his timidness as he became more comfortable and more at ease as their games progressed. They talked about a lot of things that happened in school, how the homework today was hard and maybe they should discuss it after their game, and how the football team was having tryouts in 2 weeks, which Minhyun had kept urging Daniel to go for since he had seen how Daniel plays during their gym class.

 

Their conversation stopped when Mrs. Hwang came back with a tray of cookies and warm milk for the boys. There was also some fruits, specifically a red fruit that Daniel had only seen on TV before. If he remembered correctly, it was called stowberry or something.

 

“Here you go, warm milk and freshly baked cookies,” announced Mrs. Hwang.

 

“Thank you, Om-Ommeo-nim,” said Daniel. His stutter had lessened but it was still awkward to for him to greet her as such. However, he was also too shy to ask to call her differently.

Daniel nervously tried the fruit when Minhyun put it on his plate, since Minhyun had caught Daniel’s eyes staring at the strawberries. The taste was out of this world for Daniel. He had never tasted something so sweet, yet so sour and fresh like this in his life. Minhyun simply smiled as he watched Daniel’s reaction.

 

Mrs. Hwang returned to the kitchen after she served them, but Minhyun’s eyes continued to follow her.

 

“Omma, when will Seongwoo be back from kindergarten?” Minhyun asked. Usually when he came back from school, Seongwoo would already be home but today it looks like only his mother was back.

 

“He should be back any minute now. Your Appa is fetching from the kindergarten,” replied Mrs. Hwang. A clinking sound came from the kitchen, followed by the sound of something being closed. A few seconds later, Mrs. Hwang returned to the living room with a glass of cold water for herself before sitting on the couch next to them, curiously looking at the game they were playing.

 

“ I can’t wait for you to meet my little brother! I’m sure you will like him, too. Of course, I’ve been telling you all about him all the time,” Minhyun excitedly said to Daniel. It was actually true; other than school stuff, Minhyun always included stories or incidents involving his little brother in their daily conversations. Sometimes, due to the amount of stories Minhyun had told Daniel about Seongwoo, he felt like he already knew the little guy even before meeting him.

 

“I don’t mind. The stories about your brother were interesting. Well, I mean, I don’t have any other siblings so I really love hearing your stories.” It was amazing for Daniel since he was an only child. He could never imagine what it would be like to have siblings but from what Minhyun had told him, it sounded like fun.

 

Mrs. Hwang, who had been watching the boys interact, suddenly interrupted them.

 

“So where do you live, Daniel? Minhyun said you just moved to his school?” asked Mrs. Hwang. Her eyes were on the board games as Minhyun took his turn while she casually asked Daniel, not wanting to burden the timid little guy from answering personal questions.

 

Like before, there was a flash of uncertainty in Daniel’s eyes and voice when he started replying, but the comfort of the surroundings made Daniel at ease as he began to tell his story. He never even told Minhyun about it before, but when Mrs. Hwang asked, he was more willing to explain.

 

“I used to live in Busan, but suddenly, one night my dad brought us into a truck and took our things to move to Seoul. So now we live in the shelter downtown before we move into another house.” His family was on the run, and he knew so. He had never been in a school or house for more than 3 months because his was family was always running. From what, he wasn’t sure. He just kept in mind that maybe next month, next week, or even tomorrow, he might not be here anymore. Who knows where his family will run to next.

 

It was a already a blessing for him that his family gave him the change to go to school even while they were on the run, and he was glad he didn’t have to abandon his education. If he did, then he would have never met Minhyun.

 

None of them spoke for a while. Mrs. Hwang slightly regretted asking the question, feeling bad that the boy had come from a very troubled family. Hearing that from Daniel made her want to care for him even more. It must’ve been hard for him growing up.

 

“It’s okay, I’m used to it already. Appa is always on the move, bringing me and Omma,” Daniel reassured them when he saw the looks on Mrs. Hwang and Minhyun’s faces after he explained his family condition. Thankfully, Mrs. Hwang didn’t pry any more about why his family was on the run.

 

“And are your parents betas?” Mrs. Hwang hesitantly asked her last question. She had been wanting to ask him since she first saw Daniel standing in the doorway earlier. There was something in Daniel’s eyes that was rare that betas didn’t have. 

 

“No, Appa is an alpha, but Omma is a beta. Appa says that maybe I’m going to present as an alpha, but I don’t really care about what I’m going to be,” Daniel replied truthfully. If he was an alpha, that was fine, and if he was a beta, that was also fine. He never thought of one as better than the other since they both have their positives and negatives judging from his parents’ traits.

 

Hearing that, Mrs. Hwang knew what she felt from the first time she saw Daniel. It was the gaze of an alpha. It was very dormant at the moment, but in time, this boy will be a very great alpha if he is guided by a good upbringing. There was no doubt in her heart that Daniel will grow into an alpha when he comes of age in the next few years.

 

“Well Daniel, you are welcome to visit here anytime you want. Minhyun has been telling me about you nonstop and I feel like I’ve gain another son ever since. Is that okay?,” asked Mrs. Hwang. Minhyun, who had overheard, nodded enthusiastically as he agreed with what his mother suggested. It wasn’t bad to have another sibling. He had fun with Seongwoo, so if Daniel were to be his sibling too, it would be even greater.

 

It was weird for Daniel to hear this, especially when his mother always prayed for his death and his father always sighed at his existence. This was the first time in his life that someone had made him feel wanted and welcomed. He nodded his head to Mrs. Hwang, who in turn ruffled his hair once more.

 

He finished up his milk and cookies as they continued their board game, which Daniel was unexpectedly winning despite it being his first time playing, and the game ended with Minhyun losing at his favorite game ever. Instead of sulking, however, Minhyun gave his share of strawberries to Daniel as a gift for winning, seeing that his friend really loved the fruit. 

 

“We’re back!” announced two voices at the doorway.

 

Hearing them, Minhyun’s eyes went wide and he smiled even wider. Finally the people he had been waiting for had come back.

 

“Ddeongwoo is back! Minhyunie-hyung! Where are you?!” shouted a small boy. Clearly, his diction was not yet mature since he still mispronounced certain words, which was typical for a 5-year-old child. There was a hint of excitement in his voice, probably happy that he had arrived home after a fully day of kindergarten.

 

Minhyun quickly stood up and walked towards the doorway, but stopped to turn back to Daniel. 

 

“Seongwoo is here! Wait here, Niellie. I’ll bring him to you! You will love him! He is the most adorable human you will ever see,” said Minhyun with his usual, excited smile.

 

Daniel watched Minhyun disappear behind the wall as he finished the last of the strawberries on his plate. Mrs. Hwang had gone to the kitchen yet again after hearing that her husband and youngest son had come back.  _ Maybe she will serve more milk and cookies _ , Daniel thought.

 

He could hear Minhyun greeting his father at the front door.  _ Mr. Hwang’s voice was more gentle than I thought, but what would I know _ , thought Daniel, as the only other father that he compare to was his own, who had a very scary thundering voice that made him seem angry all the time.

 

Then he heard Minhyun saying to Seongwoo that Daniel was here. The squeal of happiness that came from the little child somehow made Daniel feel mysteriously happy. Even happier than the first time he had tasted strawberries, which was only a few moments ago. Maybe this is the reason that Minhyun loved having a little brother so much.

 

“Nyellie is here? Your Nyellie?” asked Seongwoo, jumping up and down as he saw his hyung walking towards him. Someone in the air made Seongwoo extra happy today. Maybe because Minhyun had promised to help him build a blanket fort today or maybe because he could smell the chicken soup that their mom was reheating in the kitchen, but Seongwoo looked the most excited when Minhyun told him that Daniel is here.

 

“Yes, Niellie is here. My friend that I told you about,” Minhyun said as he took his little brother’s bag and held it for him.

 

“Reallyy?” Seongwoo squealed.

The little child sounded so excited, more than what Daniel had expected. In fact, it was the same for Mrs. Hwang. He really didn’t expect the warm welcome from them. There were footsteps coming to the living room, but Daniel heard Minhyun warn Seongwoo take off his shoes first before he could come in and meet Daniel. The little guy responded with a meek, “Yes, hyung.”

 

“Come on, let me help you take off your shoes and then we can go see him.”

 

There was a rustle in the doorway as Minhyun helped little Seongwoo, and seconds later, the footsteps could be heard heading to the living room. Daniel quickly swallowed whatever was left in his mouth and he wiped off any crumbs from his face in case there were still some cookie crumbles left.

 

“There he is!”

 

Minhyun pointed at Daniel who was standing, waiting in the middle of the living room. Hearing them, Daniel turned around to face the siblings. He saw Minhyun pointing at him while his other hand held little Seongwoo’s own hand.

 

Daniel’s eyes darted toward Seongwoo, who was wearing a light blue t-shirt and walking towards him, smiling. However, the moment their eyes met, everything turned black.

 

All Daniel could remember was Seongwoo’s light brown eyes before the darkness completely surrounded him and he fell onto the carpeted floor. He was oblivious to Minhyun and Mrs. Hwang shouting and panicking at the sudden situation happening in their living room.

 

… … … … …

 

When he finally came back to his senses, he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. It took Daniel a few seconds to recollect his memories of what had happened. He momentarily forgot where he was and why he was there. However, when he saw Minhyun sitting beside him with a very worried face, the memories came back to him.

 

He was in the living room eating cookies and Minhyun was about to…

 

and…

 

Daniel looked around. There was something in his mind urging him to find something as soon as possible. His heart was racing as if there was something wrong. Daniel panicked, looking very flustered. He really didn’t know what this feeling was, and it bothered him greatly.

 

Minhyun tried to calm Daniel down, but it was as if there was something hurting Daniel. Minhyun wanted to call his mother, but he couldn’t possibly just leave Daniel in the room alone, not when he was this frantic.

 

Suddenly, his eyes found the glass of water that his mother placed on the bedside table after Appa carried Daniel onto the bed. He quickly took the water and offered it to Daniel, who thankfully accepted it and gradually calmed himself down.

 

“Niellie, are you okay?” Minhyun was extremely worried looking at his friend’s condition. He knew that Daniel was not used to people, but maybe there was a condition that he didn’t know about that Daniel never told him before. Minhyun wondered if his friend was sick.

 

Daniel took a deep breath as soon as he finished drinking the water, trying to calm himself. The urging feeling inside his heart was still there, but he managed to calm himself down. As of now, he was just as confused as Minhyun. He didn’t understand what happened or why he was on the bed when the last thing he remembered what that he was in the living room.

 

“What happened?” asked Daniel, hoping that Minhyun would have the answer he was looking for. There was concern clearly shown all over Minhyun’s face, but he managed to answer the question in a calming manner that wouldn’t make Daniel worry or panic more than when he had just woken up a few minutes ago.

 

“You fainted suddenly when I was about to introduce you to Seongwoo,” explained Minhyun.

 

Hearing the explanation, something flicked in Daniel’s heart. The urge came back and this time it was much stronger. The urge to find someone. The urge to find Seongwoo.  It was as if there was something happening that he didn’t understand other than that he must go to Seongwoo as soon as possible.

 

“And where is he?” asked Daniel. He pushed away the thick blanket that was put on him and stood up, prepared to find him. Somewhere that he did not know the way. He looked at Minhyun, hoping that he would bring him to Seongwoo, but Minhyun’s expression looked even more confused as he observed him.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital or head back home?” Minhyun became increasingly worried as he watched his friend. He never saw Daniel panic or look as nervous as he did now. He was afraid that the fall did something to Daniel.

“I’m okay, just where is Seongwoo?” Daniel dismissed the question. He was certain that there was nothing wrong with his body. He didn’t feel sore anywhere, but his heart was screaming at him to find Seongwoo as soon as possible. He looked at Minhyun again, wondering why he was not leading the way to him. Was his intention of wanting to see Seongwoo not clear enough for Minhyun to understand? He was almost angry at his friend, something that he never thought he would feel towards the almost calm Minhyun.

 

“About Seongwoo… he was crying so hard. I don’t know what happened. The moment you blacked out, he fainted too, but now he’s awake and started crying hard all of a sudden,” revealed Minhyun. He doesn’t understand what happened either. One moment, Daniel was looking at him, and the next, he was sprawled on the carpet in the living room where was originally standing. Seongwoo had also fallen at the same time. Minhyun thought his brother stumbled and fell like usual, but when he saw both Daniel and Seongwoo fall unconscious, he screamed for his Omma and Appa.

 

He never wanted to experience that again. For him, it was horrifying seeing both his friend and his little brother fall unconscious at the same time.

 

He really thought that the both of them had died because he tried to wake up Seongwoo but nothing happened, and even his Omma tried to wake Daniel up, but there was no response. He didn’t even realize he was crying when the incident happened. Fortunately, his Appa’s quick action helped both of them. When they put Seongwoo on his bed, he woke up crying, far worse than any time he had seen Seongwoo cry before. Not even when they had to separate with him during their first meeting at the orphanage.

 

Hearing that, Daniel became more desperate. He asked Minhyun once again,

 

“Where is Seongwoo? I have to go see him!”

 

Looking at Daniel’s eyes, there was desperation that the 9-year-old Minhyun didn’t understand, but he understood that Daniel  _ really _ wanted to meet Seongwoo right now.

 

“He’s in the nursery, which is his room. Let me take you there.”

  
  


… … … … …

 

There he was, crying in Mr. Hwang’s arms. His face was wet from his tears and his face was as red as an apple from all the crying and screaming.

 

Minhyun tried to calm Seongwoo down, but it was futile. Nothing was making Seongwoo feel better. Not even when Mrs. Hwang brought him Minhyun’s Mr. Fox plushie that Seongwoo really loved. Daniel didn’t know what to do; he felt like he was disrupting a family moment. The had just met today but his instinct was telling him to go and hold Seongwoo. His instincts were telling was telling him that everything was going to be okay if he was able to touch Seongwoo. However, the sight of Mr. Hwang and Mrs. Hwang in front of him, made him conflicted. What if they hit him after he asked to hold Seongwoo? It was normal for Daniel to be hit whenever he asked for something from his parents.

“Appa, is Seongwoo sick? I’ve never seen him cry like this. This is even harder than the time when we had to leave him after we first met him,” asked Minhyun. His face was equally red like Seongwoo’s, and he himself was on the verge of crying as he watched Seongwoo who was crying his heart out at the moment. There seemed to be no sign of him stopping.

 

Mr. Hwang looked at Minhyun; the always tidy Mr. Hwang looked disheveled. He really didn’t understand what was happening and he didn’t know what to tell his oldest son. He looked at Mrs. Hwang who was just as worried as she was holding Seongwoo’s favorite plushie, but nothing seemed to help.

 

“I don’t know, Minhyun. His temperature isn’t high,” Mr. Hwang replied. Truthfully, they were waiting for their family doctor that they had called some time ago. He was already on his way to look at both Seongwoo and Daniel.

 

Daniel stood in place, knowing that he shouldn’t disturb the family. But somehow, his heart was burning, and it was getting more painful by the second. His instincts were telling him to reach out to Seongwoo even more now. He found it gradually harder to breath as he attempted to fight what his heart was telling him. He was already gasping for air when Mrs. Hwang noticed him clutching his chest.

 

“Daniel, are you alright? You don’t like too well either,” Mrs. Hwang told him. She rubbed his back, hoping to help Daniel as much as possible. The boy looked like he was struggling to breathe. She turned to her husband, “Honey, let's go the hospital.  Daniel doesn’t look too well either.”

 

The moment she finished asking, Daniel suddenly grabbed her hand tightly as if trying to say something, but there was hesitation on his face and the pain worsened his condition. He couldn’t take it anymore. The pain was already unbearable for him. He needed to hold Seongwoo.

 

“Ca-Ca-Can…” he tried to speak but it was hard for him even utter a single word. Mrs. Hwang continued to rub his back and attempted to coax him to say what he wanted. She kneeled beside him patiently waiting for what Daniel wanted to say even though he struggled.

 

“Yes, Daniel?” urged Mrs. Hwang. She tried to stay calm, her eyes glancing between Daniel and the door, hoping that the doctor will come soon.

 

Daniel inhaled deeply before mustering all of his energy to speak again.

 

“Can I hold him?”

Out of everything that Daniel could ask, Mr. and Mrs. Hwang did not expect this. They both had mirrored expressions of surprise as they looked at each other. Seongwoo was still crying in Mr. Hwang’s arms while Minhyun tried to coax his little brother to his side. However, they were becoming desperate and they would do anything for the sake of their children. Plus their hearts couldn’t help but hurt from hearing Seongwoo cry and seeing him in pain.

 

Looking at Daniel who seemed just as desperate as them, they slowly handed Seongwoo over to Daniel. They didn’t expect anything from it. They even expected to take Seongwoo back after a few seconds because surely Daniel couldn’t do anything to help the wailing Seongwoo.

 

…

 

…

 

The moment Daniel’s hand touched Seongwoo, the hectic roomed turned silent. Miraculously, Seongwoo stopped crying. What was more astonishing and almost unreal was the moment Seongwoo clung onto Daniel, he broken into a smile. A very hearty smile as if nothing had happened a few seconds ago. He smiling happily and clinging onto Daniel who was petting his back, soothing and lulling Seongwoo. All that was left from his wailing episode was his wet and blotted face from too much crying.

 

“How…”

 

The three Hwangs exclaimed at the same time. It was almost eerie and abnormal the way it had happened. Each one of them were flabbergasted by the moment happening in front of them.

 

“This is almost like…” exclaimed Mrs. Hwang. Her eyes turned as wide as her open mouth before she turned to her husband. There was a word-less exchange between their eyes.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Hwang looked at each other for quite a long time. They had heard of it happening before but they thought it was only a legend or a myth. Never would they have thought it would happen in front of their eyes.

 

They tried to remember what happened before Daniel touched Seongwoo, and it al made sense. Maybe the legend was true. But both of them decided not to say anything about it. Things like this should be observed further. Maybe its just a one-in-a-million chance that Daniel has really good sense with kids.

 

“Thanks Niellie. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you,” Minhyun exclaimed happily, unlike his parents who were still in shock. Minhyun was just genuinely happy that his little brother was not crying anymore.

 

Daniel didn’t understand it either. He was just following his instincts and his instincts said that his heart didn’t belong to himself anymore form this moment onward. For once, Daniel felt that he didn’t want to continue running with his family.

  
  


_ ~ _

 

_ fate is the magnetic pull of our souls _

 

_ towards people, places, and things we belong with _

 

_ ~ _


	3. Chapter 3

 

“Hwang ommeonim, omma said that I should return this back to you.”

 

Daniel put down a few set of clothing that Mrs. Hwang gave him the other day.

 

There is an obvious red mark on his face but Mrs. Hwang didn’t dare ask the precious kid about. They know his parent is abusive, and it’s not the first time Daniel came here with a bruise on his body or a fresh new scar.

 

At first Daniel didn't say anything, just that he had fell down at home. But after a few times Mr. and Mrs.Hwang sensed something isn't quite right. Plus the child behaviour shows that something is definitely happening at home. Everytime he came with a new wound, they would bring Seongwoo to the doctor or sometime Mrs.Hwang would tend it by herself.

 

They try to reach out for Daniel's home to talk to his parents but Daniel refuses to tell them the reason. He is afraid that his parent would hit him even harder if there are other people involved into this. Once Mrs.Hwang asked Daniel if she could call the police but Daniel begged Mrs. Hwang not to do it since his father is a runaway.

 

If the police were to catch his father and mother, he would be sent to a faraway place he doesn't know and he doesn't want to go somewhere, not knowing when he can next visit them. Since then Mr. and Mrs.Hwang treat Daniel as their son, trying to give him the love that his parents couldn't give.

 

Minhyun and Seongwoo are happy with it since in their understanding Daniel would come whenever he wants, which means more playtime with Daniel. In fact today he came just because he had promised Minhyun that he would come and help him teach Seongwoo to ride a bicycle at the nearby park.

 

"Your omma didn’t like the clothes?"

Mrs.Hwang put now a glass of orange juice in front of Daniel, gesturing him to drink it. Since the fainting incident a year ago, she is beyond glad that the boy isn’t afraid to come again to this house.

In fact he had been coming almost everyday. The once timid boy is now like her best friend. Everytime he came to her house they would spend some time talking about their day. At first it was an effort to make the boy comfortable in her this house but as the time went, it became their routine where they talk about their problem or worries without any reservation.

 

She slowly gained Daniel’s trust as the boy opened up more and more to her. The restless and insecure boy that she met the first time Minhyun brought him back is now almost gone. What's left is a very cheerful and light hearted boy that loves to laugh at her antics even thought she knew it was boring.

A lot of times it would feel as if she gained another son. And she loves and cares about Daniel more than she can describe in words. What she doesn’t like is Daniel’s parents; she really can’t understand how they could treat a precious boy like that.

Mrs. Hwang silently sits beside Daniel with an ice pack in her hand. Softly holding Daniel face to look toward her as he put a cold-press on Daniel red swollen cheeks. Her heart fell every time this child came here with a bruise face or body but she couldn’t do anything about it because Daniel made her promise that she won’t and in return he promise to do well at school, behave and never goes astray like his parents. Now all she can do is to tend the wound as much as she could in silence because of her promise.

"No, she said... umm... she said we are not beggars to accept things from other people."

Daniel puts down the half empty glass, guilt in his eyes. He tried to avoid Mrs. Hwang eyes but there is no point of avoiding her gaze. He knew how she will look. The pity and silent anger that she had every time there is a mark on his face or body.

He is grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Hwang for taking an interest in his well being. He never knew that a parent could be be as gentle and as soft to their child. He knew more about the back of his mother’s hand than his mother’s smile, and more of his father’s hit, than his father’s hug. He remembers the first few time he came here, Mrs. Hwang would talk to him kindly and he really didn't know how to react. Even more so with Mr.Hwang, he would run and search for Minhyun, if he was gone. But gradually over the year he saw the warmness of the Hwang family and not once did they put their hands on their son. It would make even young children like himself wonder if his family is as normal as they thought they are.

 

Little by little he starts resenting his own parents now that he knows how a normal person should treat one’s family and other people. He spend more time here instead of his own house, not that his parents care about it. They like it better when they he’s not in their face, eitherway. Truthfully, Daniel must be a burden for them. It’d be so much better if Daniel didn’t exist; they would’ve ran far away without having to think about him.

"That’s wrong, I gave it to you as a gift, because I like you and because you are Minhyun's friend. There is nothing wrong with giving gifts to people that you like."

"But.. omma say I can't bring anything back home again after this."

 

Mrs.Hwang stops pressing the cold press on Daniel's cheeks, her eyes still on the child as she sighs. She know if she insists on giving him more things, it won't end well for Daniel. She continue pressing the cold press on Daniel's cheeks as she think of loopholes that she could have used to help Daniel and at the same time he didn't have to suffer the wrath of his parents. After some time, finally she got an idea.

"If I can't give you anything. I would not let you go back home without having 2 meals with us. Will you promise me to eat whatever you want here and ask me if you need anything in the future?"

"But ommeonim...." Daniel hesitates, Mrs. Hwang face is stern. Daniel opens his mouth trying to say something but nothing comes out. Seeing Daniel reluctance, Mrs. Hwang quickly secures his promise on the subject.

"No but, you have to promise me."

Mrs. Hwang raises her pinky finger to seal the promise. Daniel interlaces his own pinky finger around it.

"All right I promise, ommeonim."

"That right. Good boy. I have something for you."

Satisfied with the promise, the mother figure ruffles Daniel's hair as she stands up and walks toward the stove. By the looks of it she already finished cooking, she was just putting something into a bowl. Soon enough she was back standing beside Daniel, sliding a bowl of porridge in front of him.

"Here is some chicken porridge I just made. I know you love it. Eat it before Seongwoo comes back from his kindergarten."

True, it was his favourite. The first time Mrs Hwang made this for him was when they invited Daniel for dinner a few days after their first meeting. Mrs Hwang did not serve him chicken porridge initially but a crab and abalone porridge. Daniel didn't touch it knowing that he has a crustaceans allergy. The Hwang family thought Daniel has eaten at home so they didn’t force him to eat. It’s not until Daniel asked for some milk later that day because he is hungry, when Mrs Hwang knew that Daniel didn’t touch dinner because of his allergy and didn't even tell them about it. He got quite an earful from Mrs Hwang.

He honestly thought his fault was asking for some warm milk, he didn't realise until later that Mrs.Hwang got mad at him because he was starving himself. Half an hour later omonim call him to the kitchen with little Seongwoo trotting behind him refusing to be part with him, because he had taken liking on him. A 'guardian hyung', he called Daniel.

He thought Minhyun's mother would beat him in the kitchen, and prepared to run when he saw Mrs.Hwang holding something in her hand. Surely an item to be use on him. Turns out she then asked them to sit back at the dinner table which he quickly obeyed and helped Seongwoo to climb his own special chair.

A bowl was served in front of him.

He looked at Mrs Hwang, confused. He thought he already told her that he can't eat things that have shells. Is this his punishment for not telling? Having to eat it even though he couldn’t?

"It’s okay Daniel, its chicken porridge." Assured Mrs.Hwang, pushing the spoon into Daniel's hesitant hand.

He remembers that night. He didn’t know a chicken porridge can be so delicious. Maybe it's because he was starving, maybe it's because Seongwoo kept asking him for a bite from his bowl which he willingly shared with the cute clingy fella, maybe because of the abundant amount of chicken in the porridge or maybe it's simply because the touch of warmth in mother's cooking.

A sound of someone running down the stairs wakes him up from his reminiscent. A few seconds later the owner of the thunderous step finally arrives to the kitchen. Breathless, Minhyun greets him.

 

"Oh, Daniel is here! Omma, why didn't you tell me?"

 

Minhyun took a seat beside him, excited and smiling about their plans for today. It's been weeks since they planned it, but it got postponed because Seongwoo wanted to follow them and threw an unbelievable tantrum when Minhyun didn't want to bring him along, claiming that it's dangerous. In the end after some coaxing and some bratty sulking from the young one, Minhyun yielded. He really got no power over his little Seongwoo.

 

They had planned to go to the park to ride their bicycle around the field. But now that Seongwoo wanted to join them Minhyun's appa suggested that they teach Seongwoo how to ride the bike so that in the future the little one could ride along with them with his own little bicycle.

 

They agreed on the idea, so now instead of just going cycling they were going to teach Seongwoo to ride today. For them, it's just as exciting since now they can do something together instead of leaving Seongwoo at home with omma and appa.

 

"I did, but you were in the shower. Here is your porridge."

 

Minhyun thanks his omma and takes the bowl graciously. Mrs. Hwang leaves them alone to chat as she goes to finish some work upstairs. Talking with Minhyun always calms him down. It’s as if the boy has a special calming power over him. In fact, all of his family members have the same aura around them. It makes Daniel feel more open and less scared than when he is with other people.

 

They’re happily chatting and talking about school as they scoop down the last bit of the porridge when they hears a running steps coming from the front door. There are a few soft, excited giggles that accompany each step. A few seconds later, a head peeks at the entry of the kitchen. A huge grin is bestowed upon the both of them.

"Oh, Nielliee hyung is already here. Yeayyy!!!!" Seongwoo exclaims excitedly as he walks toward the two of them. He gives a huge bear hug to the boy who he had known for a while now.

"Hyuunnnggggg," Seongwoo lets out a cute whine as he continues giving the boy a koala hug, only letting the boy go after he pats his head softly.

Minhyun, who was watching the scene in front of him, asks; "Hey, what about your own hyung? No hug?" to which Seongwoo responds by giving him the same hug that he had given to Daniel-hyung - only maybe less koala-ish.

"Hyung, let’s go!" shouts Seongwoo excitedly while waving his hand in the air. He had waited for this day for so long. The day he’ll finally be able to learn how to ride a bike! Surely he will never be left alone at home whenever Minhyun hyung and Daniel hyung go out to play.

Minhyun shakes his head, and stands up, pouring a new bowl of porridge and places it in front of Seongwoo. He pushes Seongwoo to sit in his previous seat and hands Seongwoo a spoon, signaling for his younger brother to eat.

"We will go after we all eat, Seongwoo." Minhyun says.

"Hyunnnggg, let’s go noww!" Seongwoo whines even louder. He places his spoon down and looks at Daniel, as if asking for Daniel hyung for help. He wants to go _now_. Food can wait until after they come back from the park. He want to go, now.

Daniel just chuckles, looking at the antics of the two brothers. In his observation, they’re always like that. Whenever something is not according to Seongwoo’s plan, he will whine until he gets what he wants.

Minhyun takes the spoon and places it back into Seongwoo's small hand. Signalling the young man who is still wearing his kindergarten uniform to eat, again.

"Seongwoo, you didn’t even change your kindergarten clothes yet, and now you’re trying to drag us to the park. I said we all have to eat first before going. Now eat and then you can go up stairs, change your clothes, and then we can go." Minhyun says. His tone is never high or harsh whenever he talks with Seongwoo. In fact, Daniel had never heard Minhyun getting mad or even raising his voice.

"No, I want to go now." Seongwoo puts down his spoon again and whines. He stands up and is about to head out to the front door, forgetting all about eating and changing his clothes. He really wants to go, now. Can't his hyung see that he is ready and excited to go to the park?

"Seongwoo," Daniel calls his name. He does is slowly but deliberately, managing to make Seongwoo stop on his tracks. He turns around and looks at his Daniel hyung.

"Yes, Niellie hyung?"

"Sit." Daniel points at the seat beside him. The seat that already had a bowl of porridge served in front of it. The seat that Seongwoo left a few seconds ago.

Seongwoo sighs, defeated. He slowly makes his way back to the seat. He looks at Daniel, once again, as if pleading that he doesn't want to eat, first, he just wants to get to the park as soon as he can with the hyungs. He is just scared that they would leave without him again since both of them already had their play clothes on and both of them already emptied their bowls of porridge.

"Eat your porridge." Daniel orders slowly. He takes the spoon that Seongwoo abandoned just now and places it into Seongwoo's hand carefully. He sees Seongwoo's facial expression turning sour from every command.

"We will go immediately after you finish this porridge, and change out of the uniform, ok? Hyung would never leave Seongwoo again, ok?" Daniel coaxs.

"Nae, Niellie hyung." Finally, Seongwoo agrees and starts eating his porridge. He’s slow at first but once he got the taste of his favourite porridge, he starts to pick up the pace. The sour face from a few second ago, is nowhere to be seen and he is happily eating his meal. He trusts that Daniel and Minhyun won’t leave him. Since Daniel hyung said so.

Looking at the scene, Minhyun shakes his head. He had to give it to Daniel. Nowadays Seongwoo is less and less obedient but Daniel could always make Seongwoo listen. It's not bad for him as a hyung since Seongwoo would then listen to him. Beside, Daniel never used a rough tone or anything equivalent to that.

"Sigh... how do you do that? He never listens to me anymore. But he would always listen to you." Minhyun questions as he looks at how happily Seongwoo goes at his food, already finishing almost half of his bowl.

"I don't know." Daniel says and he really doesn't know. He feels something but he has no idea what it is.

"Nevermind. As long as he eats before he plays - it’s all good. Thanks, Niel. Once again." Minhyun brushes it off. Maybe it’s because he is the hyung and Seongwoo wants to rebel from time to time. Minhyun smiles at Seongwoo's cuteness as he imagines the small Seongwoo trying to defy and go against everything he says.

********************************************************************************

"Okay, let go of my hand."

Minhyun tries prying his hand off Seongwoo, but the latter has it in his grip so tightly that it's impossible to let it go.

They are at the park and Minhyun and Daniel had been trying to teach Seongwoo how to ride a bike for the the past hour, but Seongwoo got scared whenever one of them asked him to let go of their hand, so he can hold the bicycle handle by himself. They end up holding Seongwoo's hand with Seongwoo sitting on the bicycle and not letting go of either of them.

It's a very weird position to ride a bike.  They end up pulling Seongwoo and the bicycle while walking backward. Minhyun tries to pry of his hand out of his grip again, which only ends with Seongwoo hugging his hand even tighter.

"No!" pleads Seongwoo. His eyes are already watery. He is scared. He doesn't want to fall down. He doesn't want to be in pain, he doesn't want to let go.

Minhyun stops moving. He signals Daniel to come closer and hold Seongwoo's hand for him. There’s a soft groan from Seongwoo, but they manage to change the hand that was holding Seongwoo.

Daniel walks slowly and encourages Seongwoo to slowly turn the pedal with his feet. Minhyun at the back, who are now pushing the bike, keeps on signalling to Daniel to let go of his hand from Seongwoo’s. But every time Daniel tries to do that, Seongwoo would look at Daniel and shake his head violently with a silent _no_ coming from his mouth.

Daniel hears Minhyun's loud sigh at the back. The look on Seongwoo face makes it hard for him to let go. Plus the amount of fear and distress that he can feel from Seongwoo makes it even more impossible for him to let Seongwoo go. He too doesn't want Seongwoo to be in pain if he ends up falling after he lets go of Seongwoo.

"How can you learn if you don't want to let go of our hand?" Minhyun asks. He stops pushing from the back. Since Seongwoo is not going fast and Daniel is already there to hold Seongwoo there is no need for him to push the bicycle from the back.

"I will." Seongwoo insists. His voice sounds croaked and scared but there is a determination in his voice. The grip on Daniel's hand got even tighter.

Daniel had to do something. He figures instead of pushing him and asking him to let go of their hand maybe he should encourage him instead. He stop walking, making Seongwoo stop with him.

"Minhyunie, how about some drinks?" Daniel ask Minhyun. Minhyun nods and goes toward one of the street vendor ahjusshis near them.

Now that Minhyun is out of the picture, Daniel looks at Seongwoo. Slowly pulling his hand from Seongwoo and holding Seongwoo's shoulder as they look at each other.

"Seongwoo, I know it’s scary, and I know it will be painful if you fall down."

Seongwoo nods as he slides his hand to hug Daniel, hugging Daniel hyung always felt right.

Daniel gets taken aback by the hug but he slowly pats Seongwoo's back and continues what he wanted to say. As much as he want to let Seongwoo ride on his bike as the second passenger forever he must let Seongwoo go through this learning process for his own good.

"But Seongwoo, if you don't find the courage to let go of our hand and have the courage to take the risk to fall and learn through it, you will never be able to ride with us. We won't always be there to hold your hand every time you ride the bike." Daniel persuades.

"But Niellie hyung.... falling down is painful."

"I know Seongwoo, but I will be there to blow on it and to treat it. Minhyunie will also be there for you. If you are scared of falling and failing then you can't complain if next time we go out to the park without you." Daniel continues. He looks down at Seongwoo who is still hugging him. He can see Seongwoo nodding slightly.

Daniel slowly pulls Seongwoo away from him and give him an encouraging smile.

"Come on, Seongwoo. You can do it."

"Hyung" Seongwoo hesitates. It's a big step for him. He really didn’t know learning to ride a bicycle can be this hard. He is afraid of falling but what scares him the most is being abandoned or being left at home by Niellie hyung and Minhyunie hyung.

It’s a silent for a moment, but soon enough Seongwoo takes a deep breath and put one of his hands on the bicycle handle. There is more hesitation, and then he puts his other hand on the handle and Daniel see it. His heart just can’t bear it.

"Okay, I'll hold your hand. But you have to promise me you will try to find your own balance." he says as he takes Seongwoo's other hand.

Finally a smile spread on Seongwoo's face as he gains a little confidence from Daniel words , but most of all from the hand that is holding him and helping him.

 

 

 

_"i want to be the only hand that you will ever need to hold"_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, its rave  
> its been a long time since the last update right. is anyone still reading this?  
> if anyone still reading please give me some comment if this chapter is good or bad or need more improvement  
> any kind of feedback is very much appreciated
> 
> oh i forgot to tell you. thank for reading!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unedited and unbeta-ed. Read at your own risk.  
> Will be edit n beta later.

“Seongwoo ya, here!” 

 

shout Daniel while waving trying to get the young Seongwoo attention. Leaning by the side of the school gate, not knowing that as an alpha he attract attention even standing doing nothing. He is alone again today waiting for him and Minhyun is nowhere to be seen.

 

He is happy that Daniel is there but at the same time he is quite disappointed by the absence of Minhyun. nonetheless, he walk toward Daniel knowing that the elder guy will be there waving and smiling foolishly non stop unless he get there fast. Niel hyung always eager to be meet him and he cant say he is not excited to see Niel hyung even though they meet almost everyday.

 

there is something with daniel hyung that makes him feel safe and protected. he guess maybe all hyung are like that but certainly not the omega hyung at school. they are weird. Always giggling obnoxiously making people feel uncomfortable. 

 

Seongwoo once dreams of going to school, making friends, learn new things and most of all what he can't wait to do at school is to be with Minhyun and Daniel the whole day instead of being left alone at the kindergarten or the nursery.

 

However, soon he realizes that school is not as fun as the kindergarten and the nursery. They give you homework, they teach you boring history, they ask you to solve math problems and the worst thing about school is he cant play or even see Daniel and Minhyun as they are in a different blocks. The omega are place in a different block than the alpha and the beta. It is still in the same ground but quite far from each other, to meet each other they have to go through a very long walkway that have a very strict check. only those who have special pass can go through. 

 

In other word, they don’t really see each other at school other than coming to school, going back home or some special occasion that need all of them to be together, which never happen.

 

Until now, seongwoo wonder why the need for all that strict check and segregation since they can just meet up after school. Like him and niel hyung now. 

 

Seongwoo looks around once more hoping that another familiar face is there somewhere. But it's nowhere to be seen.

 

The fact that Minhyun hyung had been elected as one of the student bodies didn’t help him either, it feels like he had been seeing his hyung less and less nowadays. Fame does change people Seongwoo guess, seeing how his classmates had been trying and asking him if the person he walk together every morning is truly his hyung. His hyung doesn’t have time for him anymore nowadays.

 

Luckily Niel hyung is still loyal to him eventhough Niel hyung is as busy as Minhyun hyung being the school athlete and everything.

 

“minhyun hyung?” ask Seongwoo, curious why his hyung is going home late again today. surely Daniel would know better than him.

 

“he said he got some board meeting today and he will be late. He ask me to accompany you home” Daniel explains, there is a mixed of sympathy and guilt in on his face as he reach out to pat Seongwoo back trying to reassure the disappointed young man.

 

“well… you don’t have to worry Niel hyung, I can get back by myself. I already know the way. You have shown me for a month now how to get back home” said seongwoo. with chin raised and his chest up trying to prove to daniel that really is confident going back alone without any entourage. he walk a few steps before niel cough and chuckles at the young one antics.

"So... Our seongwoo is saying that he is a grown up that doesnt need his niellie hyung anymore?"

daniel fake a very sad face and look at seongwoo. he is being dramatic but its ok since its seongwoo. the young man would always fall to his trick as if what daniel said is a sermon that he cant defy. 

panic flash onto seongwoo's face seeing his niellie hyung sad. he didnt mean by that. it is not his intention to makes daniel unhappy. he thought daniel would be proud of him that he now can go back on his own. seongwoo took a step back and cling onto daniel's arm. feeling guilty.

"No no thats not what i mean hyung"

seongwoo sway daniel's arm back and forth with his most adorable face ever. daniel didnt even turn toward seongwoo because he knew he would lost as soon as he looks at the seongwoo's face. like he always does. there is always a soft spot for seongwoo. not because seongwoo is younger, not because seongwoo is his bestfriend adorable little dongsaeng. its because seongwoo is seongwoo. nobody had that effect on him other than seongwoo. 

daniel fake a sniff and wipe his crocodile tear, still not didnt turn his face toward seongwoo"Well.... It sounded like it. I was just thinking if that cute little seongwoo that always scream  nyelli is still there somewhere because i kind of wanted to ask that cute little seongwoo go eat some delicious tteokbokki somewhere"

"Hyung.." whine seongwoo. the fact that daniel is sad and now daniel didnt even turn to look at him makes him even guilthier. his hold on daniel's hand got even tighter but daniel just didnt turn and look at him. 

"I guess only grown up seongwoo is here. Grown up seongwoo that doesnt need nyelli to bring him home" daniel free his arm from seongwoo tight hold earning him a louder whine of protest. he ignore the whine and walk past seongwoo.

seeing that daniel is leaving him, Seongwoo run and grab niel as fast as he could. this time he hug daniel tightly from the front, burying his face in daniel's chest. he whine, there is a soft sob in between. now he just sad that niellie hyung is ignoring him completely. he is not used to this kind of treatment from daniel. he doesnt care if it is infront of his school. he doesnt care if this happen anywhere. being ignored by niel hyung is not something that he want ever in his life.

"Nyelli hyung~~" seongwoo whine again. this time with the pet name that little seongwoo used to called him but grip his own hand tightly and stop himself from answering. he kind of wanted to know what will seongwoo do next. he is extremely curious.

"..."

"Hyung~~~" seongwoo tries again but this time daniel opted to tease him.

"Hmmm should i go alone hmmmmm" daniel starts to walk. he just let seongwoo hug him. its funny when he starts to walk and seongwoo are forced to walk backward because he is now hugging daniel. he walk very slowly and carefully so that seongwoo wont stumble and fall backward. 

"Niellieee~~~ " last resort. he is desperate that he forgot to add the formality.

daniel stops. that was unexpected. seongwoo look up from daniel's chest to his face. eyes wide and glassy. he thought he just made daniel angrier when he forgot to say hyung at the back of his name. he was close to crying when daniel push him away from his body.

"Okay, okay. I give up. Lets go" said daniel. he push seongwoo away from his body just to take seongwoo's hand into his. 

"we cant walk with you walking backward like this" he proceed to turn seongwoo facing the front and ends it with a little rufflings of seongwoo perfectly comb hair. seongwoo look at his expression, confuse if he is forgiven or daniel is going to left him to go back on his own like what he had said earlier.

"lets go, i know a good tteokbokki place around here" daniel tug his hand to walk with him. there is a wide smile on daniel's face. there is no trace of anger or any bad emotion on his face, only a naughty smile that seems to erase all the bad thought in seongwoo's heart. he grip daniel's hand tighter and walk along with him.

finally, this is the daniel hyung he knows.

daniel never understand why seongwoo is so gullible, a brat sometimes but he never doubt or question anything that daniel said or do. he just trust and accept whatever that daniel said to him

*************************************************

"have you been here with minhyun hyung before?"

ask seongwoo, his eyes were scanning the stall. its small but its comfortable enough for a few people to come in an had a bites.they were sitting on the most secluded table since that was the table that seongwoo choose when they entered the stall. daniel is pretty sure seongwoo told him that maybe it will taste better if they sit in the table that far from people.

"nope, you know your hyung dont really like to eat street food"

seongwoo nods, completely agree with what daniel said. its not just minhyun actually, his family are not fond of street food since appa said he had a serious food poisoning when he was young due to eating some unsanitary street food. so they dont really eat outside plus omma is a very good cook.

"ahh, thats true. i just realise this is my first time coming to this kind of place too"

he had tried it before but never in a stall this small. usually omma would sneak out with seongwoo to eat this kind of food in a proper family restaurant that actually sell these kind of food.

usually he wont even think of coming to this kind of street stall but since niel hyung is the one who suggest it. might as well just try it since its daniel hyung.

seongwoo then continue on rambling about his new school life. like how his classmates are too shy, how the math teacher keep on asking him to go in front to solve a question, how minhyun hyung are always busy nowadays and didnt have time for him, how niel hyung is smelling like a peach nowadays and just generally wondering why omega are not allowed to be taught with the alpha and beta. he was frustrated that he cant hang out with minhyunie and niellie like he thought he could when he started school.

daniel just keep his silence and just let seongwoo said everything that he want while daniel clean the cutlery and pour seongwoo some water. usually those petty things are done by the youngest one on the table but with seongwoo, daniel cant help but take care of seongwoo and occasionally spoil this kid.

seongwoo finally stop talking when the ajumma send them their tteokbokki and some fishcakes. now he is gushing and admiring the steaming bowl of teokbokki, excitedly exclaiming that he had never seen teokbokki as red as this one.

daniel serve the teokbokki in a smaller bowl to seongwoo which seongwoo accept it and directly try to take a bite a second after that. clearly its too hot and quite spicy too be eaten like that , that it makes seongwoo choke and cough even before daniel could remind him about it.

"hey, its hot. dont eat to fast, ugh nevermind here drink the water" daniel hand seongwoo a glass of water while at the same time he wipe of the bits and pieces of teokbokki on seongwoo's face and on the tables that comes flying because of seongwoo.

"you should have remind me before i start eating" seongwoo complains. he let daniel wipe his face that has been splattered with red sauce with his hand getting ready to had another go at the teokbokki. he even point at some of the sauce that daniel miss on his own chin.

"when will you learn that its not a good idea to eat something hot that fast?"

daniel flick seongwoo's nose when seongwoo just chuckles and grin sheepishly. seongwoo bites another piece of the rice cake into his mouth. happily chewing it as daniel also starts eating after seeing that seongwoo had his cup of water beside him and a some extra tissue in case the choking accident happen again.

"well niellie is always there if anything happen to me. by the way this is good, better than i expected"

seongwoo holds up his fork with one half eaten rice cake on it toward daniel,showing it to his hyung as if the letter are not eating the same food. satisfied feeling plastered all over his face, only seongwoo knows what that smiles means.

"didnt ommoniem always make her own version of tteokbokki?" ask daniel. for all he knows, eventhough hwang abeoji didnt like eating out he still enjoy a homemade tteokbokki by his wife. daniel had it a few times before with the hwang family, its good in his opinion but the thing that made it even better is eating together with all of them. something that he doesnt really gets to enjoy.

"yes, but this is better. "

seongwoo point at the almost finish bowl of tteokbokki in front of him. holding it toward daniel, asking for more. there is none left in the big bowl, so daniel just swap seongwoo's bowl with his. figuring that he had enough of it for today and seongwoo can have the rest since this is his first time coming to this kind of place.

daniel goes silent as he watch seongwoo finish whats left of the teokbokki in his bowl. thinking about something. he hesitates at first but a few second later just as seongwoo gulp down his water after he finish his meal, daniel finally ask what was on his mind.

"you want to come again next time?"

silence. seongwoo look at daniel, as if he didnt believed what he had heard or did he heard it wrong.

"with you?"

truthfully they have never been anywhere alone with only the two of them. there is always minhyun or ommoniem or abeoji accompanying them. it make sense if daniel was nervous to ask seongwoo the question. what if the latter arent that comfortable spending time alone with him without his family members

seongwoo didnt answer directly, instead he stare at daniel.

daniel cough trying to push away the awkward air that he felt surrounding them.

"yeah, of course with me. or do you want to come here alone? since you are all grown up now" said daniel trying to jokes around to dismiss the sudden heavy atmosphere around them

Hearing that seongwoo quickly jump in "no no, i want to come here with you and nobody else" . he quickly gather his two palm together and does a praying pose hoping that nielie hyung wont do the same stunt as before. 

Seongwoo's reaction induce a loud hearty laugh from daniel. he reach out to seongwoo and ruffles his perfect hair again which cause a small pout to come out from seongwoo scandalized by daniel laughter to his reaction and most of all his perfect hair is not that perfect anymore. he like it when niel hyung touch it but a style is a style. appa say we have to protect our style even if there is a storm blowing. 

seongwoo did try to save his hair and style it back to how it suppose to be this morning but end up failing and his pout became longer by the second thinking that he is not looking as good as niel hyung infront of him.

for daniel, seongwoo is adorable from the first time he saw him. even before that, when minhyun keep on telling him stories about his little brother at home. by pouting like that, it just increase his cuteness to another level. daniel wanted to pinch his cheeks but he figure maybe he shouldnt mess with seongwoo more than this. he already tease him enough today. maybe he can save that on the later day.

"i heard there is a place that even tastier than here"

seongwoo's face light up, the pout are now gone hearing that there is some place that have even tastier ddeokbokki. just the thought of it makes him excited.

"really?" seongwoo ask. he is excited. going to this kind of place have its own kind of thrills knowing that abeoji and minhyun doesnt like it, plus its exciting because niel hyung is there with him.

daniel nods at the questions, confirming.

"my friend told me, im thinking of going around and taste other store. you really want to come along?"

daniel trying to confirm that soengwoo really want to go out with him and have a food tasting get away with him

"OF COURSE HYUNG!!"

seongwoo reassure. his eyes were already sparkling just by thinking about it. it definitely cant get any better than this.

looking at seongwoo's enthusiasm, daniel chuckles and he hold out his hand to ruffles seongwoo's hair for maybe the last time for today before they go home.

"ok then, it will be our little secret then. without minhyunie" said daniel.

"yes, our own secret dates" chime seongwoo

 

the last word linger in daniel's heart a little bit longer than it should before he brush it off like its nothing.

  
  


_ "ill go wherever my heart takes me, lets see where its gonna takes us" _


	5. chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> few years later

 

minhyun and hwang ommonim are sitting at the kitchen table with a very grim expression on their face. none of them are talking but there something heavy in the air that suggest that something had happened in the household. they were waiting for mr.hwang to get back from the hospital with seongwoo. the youngest son had suddenly been sick and in a very mysterious pain for 3 days already. however in every clinic they've been none of the doctor could give any explanation about it. 

seongwoo experience no fever at all, there is no sign on his body. but he had been screaming and thrashing in pain while clutching his heart for 3 days now. it hurt ommonim more than anything else seeing her youngest son in pain and she can't do anything about it. at the same time minhyun brought her another shocking news 3 days ago. he told her that daniel is gone.

"it's been 3 days omma, i can't find him. He is not answering his phone, his house is empty, his parents are not there, and he didnt even come to school" minhyun cup his head in frustration. there is so much things going on in his head. his little brother and his best friend are the main source of his worries right now.

3 days ago when he comes home from school telling his mom that there is something wrong with daniel since earlier that week that it turns out to be true when he didn't come to school and didn't contact him at all. usually if there is something happen in his house or when he is sick he would inform minhyun about it so that minhyun would inform their teacher about it or so that minhyun would write down extra notes for him. but daniel had been missing since 4 days ago.

and on top of it, the day that his best friend when missing, seongwoo fell sick that they had to focus on sick seongwoo first before searching for daniel. these 4 days had been a living nightmare for his family. 

"have you ask the teacher? if they knew? ive gone to his house with your father his afternoon. its empty" omma ask. the women that is always tidy look quite shaken by these unexpected events. they had this conversation before the other day but it is forgotten by all the hectic things happening. worries and concern plastered all over her face.

 

"I told you, even the teacher were asking me if I knew anything about daniel" remind minhyun. the teacher asked him the same thing everyday. asking where did daniel goes and how he should know it since he is daniel's best friend. the problem is he himself doesn't know. even his other friend were asking the same thing but he had no answer to their question.

 

as they were talking, suddenly the light in the hallway were turns on. mr.hwang walk toward the kitchen looking lifeless and tired. he is in his casual wear today instead of his work clothes since he requested an emergency leave for a few days for seongwoo. he had been going around the whole day for seongwoo and also searching for daniel.

 

"Appa is back. how was it?" ask minhyun but mr.hwang didn't answer him.

 

he pulled one of the chairs and proceed to sit on it. a few seconds after, he let out a huge sigh and he starts to answer minhyun's question. he is pretty sure his wife are waiting silently for his answer too.

 

"seongwoo is a lot better tonight. he said the pain subsided a little bit but the doctor still doesn't have a clue what is going on with him. the only thing they could give is painkiller and seongwoo said it didn't have any effect. I already tuck him in bed upstairs since he doesn't want to stay in the hospital even when the doctor force him to or when i ask him too." explain mr.hwang. but there is still silence in the air as if they are waiting for more explanation or news.

 

mr.hwang let out another deep sigh before continuing.

 

"and for niel, I went to his house again, and the same as before, no one is there. the neighbours did not have any information either. its like... they are gone"

 

there is still a spark of hope in mr.hwang eyes even though it's small but there is still something that he hold on too. maybe everything that is happening around him is interconnected somewhere somehow. he just wish that his gut feeling is true at times like this.

 

none of them talk for a while. each of them thinking if there is something that they are missing or maybe daniel did say something or maybe signal something to them earlier this week before he disappeared with his family. however none of them could think of any.

 

their week with daniel last week is just like any other normal week. daniel would sometimes come here in the morning to ride to school with both minhyun and seongwoo. later after school or after school activities he would come, do his homework here with minhyun, play with seongwoo and have lunch and dinner here like he promised ommonim long time ago.

 

as usual he would be pushing back the time he would go back home and try to stay here as long as he could which none of this family member had any objection to it. they even offer daniel to just sleep here if it's too late at night already. nothing seems out of the ordinary last week.

 

"maybe his family flee. I remember years ago niel told that this parent are on the run.they had been moving from one place to another every 3/4 month. staying here for more than a year maybe had them vulnerable to the enforcement officers" said ommonim. her facial expression looks even more distress and anxious thinking about what she had said. she really doesn't want daniel to go with his parents.

the last thing she wants is for daniel to go with his parents. God knows what they would do to him if he went away with them. they don't even care about daniel's education or wellbeing. thank god that nowadays she didn't see any new bruises on daniel. she can't imagine what would happen to that bright and active kid if they bring him to somewhere else and didn't let the kids to go to school or something.

 

"but niel told me, if that happens he won't go with his parents. I trust him" exclaim minhyun. he looks at his parents hoping that they would agree with what he said. however both of them are in deep thought. looking at the distance trying to think of any place that they didn't search yet. hoping that maybe daniel is just playing with them and maybe the family just went somewhere for the weekend together.

 

but they know it not going to happen. daniel's family never even brought daniel to eat out. going out for family time on weekdays is just blasphemous. they would rather hide in their house and not bothering to go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

 

"they are their parents after all."

 

softly abeoji said. even if they are a lousy and bad parents, they can't deny that they are daniel's parent. sometimes no matter how bad our parent is to us we can't help but follow them wherever they go. maybe daniel is no exception.

 

"what if he is out there, alone and nowhere to go?"

 

mrs.hwang suddenly got up from her seat. she cant take it anymore. she knows that she had search for daniel yesterday and earlier today but she just cant stand sitting here in the kitchen staring at each other without doing anything.

 

what if the poor boy is out there alone or sick or hungry. what if the boy return to his home. what if the boy is stranded somewhere without his parent. a lot of what if scenarios going through her mind.

 

aboeji looks at his wife who was getting ready to go out but he didn't react to it. he just look. same goes to minhyun. he would follow his wife but there is someone that needs his attention too in this house. he can't just leave seongwoo unattended what if something goes wrong if they went outside to search for daniel and leave seongwoo alone.

 

"lets go. lets find him" mrs.hwang urge him but only minhyun who react and leave his seat to go beside his mother.

 

mr.hwang gets up and goes to his wife apologizing that he can't follow her this time even if he wanted to. Appa was about to take his step toward the stairs to go to seongwoo's room when he heard his wife and his son screaming at the doorway

 

"OH MY GOD NIEL!!!!!"

 

When mr.hwang arrive at the doorway, he saw a very haggard and tired daniel standing lifeless almost about to fall with the slightest touch.

 

He was silent but his whole body was shivering in cold.he looks skinnier than when they last saw him and that was just 3 days ago. his eyes were blank almost as if he didn't realize that mrs.hwang and minhyun is in front of him and screaming his name.

 

"s....se.......seo..." his mouth keep saying something but only soft incoherent whispers can be heard.

 

mrs.hwang slowly walk toward him and touch his shoulder as if trying to wake him up from the daze.

 

"are you ok? where have you been?"

 

feeling that someone touched him, the blank gaze suddenly focus and he realizes that ommonim is in front of him, pale and her forehead were scrunching. he looks at his surrounding, wondering how did he come here. he saw minhyun standing behind ommonim looking as worried as her.

 

he shifted his gaze toward the other person at the back. its hwang abeoji. he did come to the correct house. he thought this was a dream.

 

he staggers but luckily ommonim could hold him

 

"ommonim..." Daniel whispers

 

and the next thing he knew he was falling and staring at the ceiling.

 

"OH MY GOD NIELLIE!!!"

 

he heard them screaming his name but all he saw was black. he tried to react even by moving his finger. nothing. it is as if his body has abandon him

 

slowly his consciousness drift off.

  
  


************************************************************************************************

 

he doesn't really remember anything when he woke up. all he could feel was a wave of calmness spreading all over his body from the hand that was holding him tightly like his dear life and the hand seems to be comforting him.

"niellie hyung?"

 

the voice wake him up from the daze. the person in front of him doesn't look too good. bundled up with a blanket and a cold pack sticking on his forehead. he could see cold sweat on the side of his face. nonetheless there is a smile on the teenage boy's face. a smile that means the world for him right now. 

 

seeing daniel wakes up, seongwoo release his grip on daniel's hand turning to the side. before daniel could protest seongwoo came back with a glass of water. his hands are shaking, his eyes looks like its trying to contain his feelings.  

"seongwoo..." 

 

 before daniel could say more, seongwoo hold out the full glass of water toward daniel,  "here some water"

daniel try to take it but his hands are too sore to even hold it out. his lips are parched dry. 

seongwoo saw that and instead of waiting for daniel to take it from him seongwoo proceed to  help him to drink the water. daniel manage to gulp down a considerable amount of water before turning his face toward seongwoo signalling that he had enough.

 

seongwoo put down the glass of water and look at daniel who was still staring at him.

the room is dead silent. the only sound that can be heard in that room is their breath. seongwoo took a deep breath before throwing out his questions.

"where have you been niellie hyung? omma and minhyunie hyung have been worried sick and have been searching for you." seongwoo was breathless. he may have spoken too fast that it makes him lightheaded. he is not as healthy as he should be with him going in and out of the hospital for a few days now. 

 

the pain that he suffered is gone for a few hours now but he is still exhausted by it. maybe the feeling of seeing the sick niel hyung make him suppress the pain, seongwoo really doesn't know. all he knows that his heart tells him to be here. he did and it mysteriously calm him.

daniel did not answer, he just lost in thought as he stares at seongwoo.

 

their hand holding each other, it's not something out of place for them. he had always hold this hand ever since he could remember but there is something soothing in it tonight.

 

it feels weird

 

but it's so right. he doesn't even want to let go of that hand.

 

"and you?" daniel ask even before he could stop himself.

 

seongwoo clearly didn't expect the question judging from his shocked face. he stuttered and broke the eye contact that they have been keeping since moments ago. he turn to his side hoping to hide his face.

 

"i... i ....."

 

seongwoo can't seem to let it out of his chest. but then he felt a hand ruffling his hair. the gesture that niel hyung always do to him everytime he wants to tease him or comfort him. feeling the finger softly playing with seongwoo hand, his face feels hotter, his eyes become watery but he still trying to stifle his tears.

 

"did you worry about me too seongwoo?" daniel ask again.

 

daniel soft whisper broke him, seongwoo immediately hug daniel, tears rolling down his cheeks.

 

"i.. thought you ran away with your parent. I thought i wont be seeing you again. I thought you had abandoned me. niellie hyung.i thought you are gone niellie"

 

seongwoo whine as he tightens his hug around daniel. his tears rolls down on his cheeks even faster.

 

its true that he miss daniel, he misses daniel even more when he is in pain. he miss his niell hyung that thinking about niel hyung makes his pain feels even more excruciating that he is willing to die a few hours ago. in the past 3 days he keep on feeling that if niel hyung is with him the pain will disappear. it's true that his pain disappear the moment he saw niel hyung in his house hours ago.

 

it's always niel hyung.

 

daniel didn't expect the intense reaction from seongwoo. he didn't expect the latter would miss him as much as he miss seongwoo.

 

He remembers how in the span of 3 days, all he thinks about is seongwoo. Every step that he took to get here are possible because of this guy in front of him. To think that seongwoo has the same reaction as him was a crazy thing.

 

daniel slowly pat seongwoo's back trying to console the crying teen. it hurt him to hear seongwoo's cry.

 

"shushhh seongwoo ya, i will never go away from you seongwoo. I will never run away from you even if my life depends on it"

 

daniel keep on slowly patting seongwoo back as he returns the hug. it's his way of consoling and reassuring seongwoo and himself from a very long torturous and painful 3 days.

 

hearing daniel's whisper, seongwoo slowly raise his head that have been buried in daniel's chest. face wet with tears, nose sniffle with snot from crying to hard.

 

for daniel, seongwoo is still the whiny little boy that he meet years ago. he never change. always cry in his arms whenever things happen.

 

seongwoo hold out his pinky finger "promise me" he said. seongwoo is asking for daniel to never run away ever again and leave him and his family.

 

seongwoo stare at daniel and his own finger, waiting for daniel to hold up his own pinky finger to promise him.

 

"I promise you with my life" daniel interlaces seongwoo's pinky with his, sealing the promise. He never intend to leave them ever again. especially this whiny boy who is hugging him and crying for dear life.

 

with the promise being sealed, finally a small smile formed on seongwoo's lips but it disappears as soon as it appears when seongwoo finally realized the black and blue marks on daniel's body and on the side of his face.

 

"what is all this bruises, did your father beat you again?"

 

before daniel could even answer, hwang ommonim , abeoji and minhyun open the door to the room.

 

"you finally wake up" said mrs. hwang. relief that daniel finally wake up after hours of being unconscious. their family doctor did come by to visit daniel as soon as they call him. thank god the doctor said that daniel is fine just he is malnourished  and lack of water and it seems like he hasn't eaten for a few days. the doctor manage to give daniel an iv drip as he was asleep. 

seongwoo release daniel from his hug as soon as he heard his mother's voice. but his hand still search for daniel empty hand like a magnet. 

"ommonim..., hwang abeoji, minhyunie" said daniel. even though his voice are slow but it is loud enough for everyone in the room to hear him. 

 

abeoji put his hand on daniel's forehead trying to check daniel condition. it's not as hot as when he got here but is still warmer than normal body. he remembers when he carry daniel to the room the young man is shivering and sweating bullets. he is glad that daniel is a bit better now. 

"where have you been?" ask mrs.hwang who is now sitting on the edge of the bed staring at daniel. her eyes are red and swollen from crying to hard a few hours ago. the boy that she cared for lost consciousness in her arm after missing for a few days. it's a nightmare for a mother even though the boy is not her biological son but he is as good as one. she cares for him like a mother should care for their son. 

 

daniel didn't answer it directly. he was hoping that ommonim or anyone in the room to ask anything else and let the question be forgotten and they can move to another topic. however seeing that everyone fell silent after the question and keep on staring at him hoping for the answer. seongwoo's grip on his  hand tighten as if urging for him to answer the question. the silence slowly creeping up to him that he had no choice but to tell them the truth.

"I ran away"

 

unlike what he expected, none of the people in front of him show any sign of surprise at the confession. its like they had expected it from him or they already know someday he or his family would do something like that. they were nodding silently in front of him as if the fact that he ran away from home is not weird or out of place at all.

 

but then, minhyun came forward to him. asking for confirmation

"you ran away? from home?" ask minhyun.

 

minhyun's eyes are swollen red too. daniel never thought someone like minhyun would cry that hard for him. usually it's only ommonim and seongwoo, minhyun would usually the one that is calm and giving others support. he is exactly like mr.hwang. someone who is calm and collected on the outside in any given situation even though their mind in is jumble. minhyun looks out of character and daniel doesnt know if its a good sign or not but they need answer. there is no use in keeping secret from them.

 

"no...... I ran away from everything. my home, my father and my mother. they force me to come with them. they force me to run away with them to daegu. Appa said that we have been here for far too long and it's not safe for him anymore to stay here. they are afraid that they will be caught"  

Daniel confessed.  he looks at ommonim, trying to figure out what she is thinking. they were all silent. none of them talk waiting for daniel to continue talking but he didn't. 

"and you didn't follow them?" ask ommonim. she shift her place closer to daniel taking his other free hands into hers silently trying to comfort the young man.

 

 She knows making that decision to separate himself from his own family is a very hard and heavy decision especially for someone as young as daniel. The fact that he is here right now safe and sound is more than she could ask for

"I was forced to follow, since I don't have any other family members other than them. we already on the highway with the truck full of our things. but..."

daniel stop in his words and shift his gaze toward seongwoo for a few seconds before looking back to mrs.hwang. 

 

the act may or may not go unnoticed in mr.hwang and minhyun eyes but the split second act catch mrs.hwang attention. she nods silently as if there is something that crosses her mind but she didn't dare to prod further but she need some confirmation on what she just saw. she wonders if it's only her imagination or only from her desperate mind. 

"your heart tells you otherwise" mrs.hwang unknowingly continue daniel's word. minhyun doesn't understand what his mother is talking about but when he looks at his father asking for the answer but the only answer he got is a shrug from his father. he got a feeling that there is something that his father is not telling him from the look that he gave him. 

"yes, I can't be there." said daniel. there is a surprise tone in his voice as if mrs.hwang just answer the questions that have been haunting him for a few days now ever since he took his steps inside his father's truck. 

  
  


nothing feels right until he decided to run away. nothing feels right until he ran along the road he once came. That moment he knew he was going toward the right direction.

  
  


"I can't go away. I cant... its like i would die if i stay there much longer" daniel adds as the  tightness in his chest remind him of the pain that keeps on growing the further away he is from this city.

"and these bruises?"

Daniel was hesitant  to say anything at first but he know mrs.hwang to well that even if he didnt say anything she will find a way to make him tell her consciously or unconsciously.

  
  


So daniel figure that he might as well just say it since he already tell almost everything to them.

  
  


"it...its.. appa, he caught on that I want to run away. so he beat me at the rest stop. I ran away in the middle of his beating. I ran toward the direction that we come from and walk back to seoul" 

  
  


None of the hwang family show any surprised in his statement. They already figure it out already. Plus daniel is not the type to got into a fight with others. They are not surprised by the statement but that doesn't mean that they are not angry by it.  all three of the hwang family are seething their teeth in anger.

"you walk all the way back? by yourself?" Abeoji in disbelief. His hand gripping mrs.hwang's shoulder tightly. Preventing himself from bursting in anger. 

  
  


It's been years, he had held it in for years but due to respect to daniel and his family he didnt say anything. even more when his wife said that daniel ask them to not do anything. he pity the young man, the first time they meet the young man looks terrified of him so he distance himself from daniel. tying to give daniel some time to get used to an older man that is not his father. 

  
  


mr.hwang remember when he tried to make friends with daniel's father, mr.kang. trying to get to know the father of his beloved son best friend like any other father would do. maybe become friends with the family since their son spends a lot of time with them. but all he got was insult, shame and nothing to do with their son or other people. mr.hwang hates the man that is daniel's father however their son is nothing but a good boy. daniel is an impossible child to hate and little by little mr.hwang had grown attached to daniel as if he is his own son so he just let it go. but not again. not after today

  
  


daniel never seen mr.hwang with that kind of scary expression. he hesitates but the little tug that seongwoo's did while holding his hand gave him a little bit of confidence.

"that the only way i can. I have no money with me."

  
  


they all gasp when they realised that daniel really walk all the way here. surely the journey is far from home. no wonder he come here without any energy left.  No wonder the strong daniel they always knew looks so frail when he arrived here.

"where did you sleep? what have you eat for the past few days?" this time it's omonim who ask the question before anyone else. 

  
  


daniel hold seongwoo's hand even tighter trying to calm himself. 

"i......."

  
  


daniel hesitates

"i..."

he knows his answer will makes them even angrier. he doesnt want that but he can't bear to lie to this family. the only people on earth who truly care for him. daniel inhale a very deep breath before he finally answer the question. his hand still holding seongwoo's hand for encouragement.

  
  


"on the street"

  
  


the reaction of each and every one of them are as expected. even seongwoo by his side cant believe what he just said. did he really sleep on the street before coming here. 

  
  


the clearly fuming mrs.hwang hold both of daniel's cheeks and turn him to face her eye to eye. she really looks like she just want to scream her heads off but luckily she didn't. she tries hard to contain her voice since daniel had suffered enough. 

  
  


ommonim takes a deep breath

"why didn't you come here!? did you not consider us your family at all daniel!? what are we to you!? why didn't you come straight here!? you know we will accept you whenever" ask ommonim

"that's why I didn't" he knew it. They are going to be very angry at him but he had his own reasons to not come crashing here the moment he arrived in seoul.

"what do you mean?" Minhyun ask

"I know you will let me live here. I know you will be willing to help anyway possible" 

"then why didn't you?" This time it seongwoo who ask him. His little hand caressing his as if trying to make him open up to them. As if he is trying to say, its ok.

  
  


Daniel takes a deep breath

"im embarrased" 

His answer was not what they had expected, they had known daniel for years. They are like a family. The fact that daniel is reluctant to reach out and ask for help from them js ridiculous. How could he say he is embarrassed. If anyone who should be embarrassed, it should be daniel's parent who never stop and realise what a good son he is. 

  
  


"what is there to be embarrassed, you have been here everyday, you have sleep here before, you eat here everyday even though I force you to eat before you go home to your parents. what is there to be embarrassed by us. I already consider you one of my sons when you first step in this house years ago. " omonim try to reason on what should daniel be embarrassed about. This is his second home, nobody ever deny it. They had welcome daniel with an open arm all these years. There is absolutely no reason for him to act like this.

"ive already a burden to you all these while ommonim, how can i add more burden to you" how can he thought daniel. They had done almost everything for him and to ask more from them is a sin. Its like he is taking advantage of this family. He is always a burden everywhere he goes. To have someone and somewhere that loves him as he is already enough. How could he ask for more from this family.

  
  


Mrs.hwang let out a huge sigh. She is clearly at her wits end after hearing daniel's reason for his action. It's absurd. Her face are red with anger. His answer in her opinion is as if he didn't trust them enough to take care of him. 

  
  


She stands up and crosses her arms. Her stares are sterns. She is looking directly at daniel. The room is eerie silence as if waiting for her to say something. All the attention is on her.

"listen here kang daniel, you have never been a burden to us. ever. you will stay here and this is your home from today. I would not allow you to sleep on the street , eat from the dumpster or even let anybody. ANYBODY lay their hands on your body ever again in my life. I have been patience since the first time i've seen the black and blue bruises on your face. never again kang daniel. Neve again and if you think you are a burden like you said you are then just help me with the house chores." Her voice is high, there is anger and there is love in it. All the words that she utters shows that she truly care about this fragile person laying on this bed in her house. 

"omma..." both minhyun and seongwoo are shocked by their mother's voice and lengthy words. No matter how angry she is in the past, she never raise her voice. So to hear their mother breaking down in tears and anger in front of them are something they never expected. 

"ommonim.." daniel try to say something but before he could utter anything, mrs hwang beat him to it 

"you know I won't take no for an answer niel. if you ever want to go from here. finish your school year and get into a good college then go. I won't say anything after that” 

  
  


Abeoji step up and hold mrs.hwang by her shoulder. Calming her down. He understand perfectly what his wife are feeling. He feels the same thing. He continue to pat her back to calm his wife as he turns to look at daniel.

"niel, i agree with what she said. what is there to be embarrassed about. we have been accepting you from the day you first come here. just stay here with us. it's fine. This is already your family the moment you step in this house years ago"  persuade abeoji.

  
  


Hearing the ommonim's outburst and abeoji persuasion got daniel teary. The next thing he knew he was covering his face with his hand as he was crying uncontrollably by the overwhelming feeling and emotion. 

  
  


The fact that there are people that will accept him unconditionally into their life and the fact that they care so much about him more than he could imagine. To think that someone could be angry at him not out of hate but out of love.  That's something that he never felt before. 

"i... th....tha....thank you ommonim, a..a..abeoji. I can't ask you thank you more. it mean everything for me. thank you. thank you" daniel chokes on his on tears. Everything is blurry as his tears won't stop flowing. 

 

Seongwoo who was loyally sitting by his side quickly hugs daniel the moment he saw daniel in tears and stuttering to finish his sentence. Hoping that his hug could calm daniel down.

 

However, the hug makes daniel cry even more

"niell ah, its ok. dont cry. I didn't mean to get mad at you" omonim sit back down beside daniel on the bed and ruffles his hair. Watching daniel crying his heart out makes her feel guilty for getting mad at the young boy and it also makes her teary.

 

Daniel hold up his head and look at every single person in the room. He hugs seongwoo tightly as he tries to calm himself down for what he wants to say next.

 

"I know... it just that... this means the whole world to me. for me who had been constantly hated by my appa and omma. hearing this, hearing what ommonim said mean a lot to me. I never thought someone would ever consider me as a son. I never thought anybody would accept me. I thought it was because of pity for a boy that barely had anything, for a boy that had constantly being told that i worth nothing by my own parents. to have someone screaming at me not because they hate the sight of me, not because im just someone who makes their life miserable but because they really care for me. it means the world to me." 

 

His tears continue to drops to his cheeks. In fact everybody in the room is crying after his what he ad said.

 

Omonim lean forward and takes both daniel and seongwoo into her arms. Hugging them ever so tightly.

 

"ommonim..."daniel said

 

A few seconds later, another pair of arm join them. It was abeoji. Something he never expect from the calm abeoji.

 

"Abeoji..." 

 

Daniel can feel seongwoo arms holding on to him even tightly. He can hear the sobbing sound coming from the young seongwoo. The feeling is overwhelming but the fact that seongwoo is here with him makes it bearable. The fact that he can see seongwoo again makes everything that happened to him worth it.

 

"Seongwoo.."

 

Daniel look to the last person standing in the room. Watching the group hug with tears and smile on his face.

 

"Minhyunie" daniel said.

 

Their eyes meet. Daniel smiles a him

 

"thank you" daniel mouth the words to minhyun. It's more than just thank you. He owe everything to minhyun. Without minhyun, he would never know his family and he would never experience love. Everything changes the day minhyun approach the lonely him at school and bringing him to this house. 

 

He owes his life to minhyun and he swears he would do anything to pay him back.

  
  


** _"you put your hand around me and im home"_ **

 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been a while since i updated this fic  
> i want to give reason but nothing sound plausible  
> the lack of daniel update makes me unwilling to write  
> it makes me feel like im being force to write something that i dont want to  
> however, the act that now daniel had come back and healthy  
> makes me come back to this fic and start back to where i left it.
> 
> im not hoping that a lot of people would even read this fic.   
> im merely here trying to finish something that i left unfinished

**Author's Note:**

> hi its rave,  
> thank you for reading this story. ive been planning and writing this story since last year.  
> this is the first chapter  
> i hope you guys like it.   
> i really appreciate it if you guys leave some comment for me


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